A aeon vbeeland



A. VREELAND.

Velocip'ede'.

No. 225,310. Q Pa'tente d Mar. 9, 1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..-

AARON VREELAND, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 225,310, dated March 9,1880.

Application filed September 15, 1879. i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AARON VREELAND, ofNewark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Velocipedes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to veloeipedes having three wheels, and is designedto be operated by foot or hand power, or by the two combined, havingsuitable appliances for these purposes, provided with an improved turnor fifth wheel, as it is known incarriages; also, with two adjustableseats, allowing more than one person to ride at. the same time, and anadjustable brake and steering apparatus.

i In the drawings, Figurelis a plan. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3is a detailed view of a portion of the turn-wheel.

In my construction, A represents the hind wheels, hung to the axle B sothat one is secured to the axle and the other is loose on it. Connectedalso with this axle by a loose joint is a frame, O, extending forwardand the end carried up' above the front wheel, D, and is connected witha turn-wheel, F, supported bythe skeleton-frame E, to the lower end ofwhich, on the axle d, the wheel D turns.

The turn-wheel is constructed with two disks, F and F, the latter beingsecured to the front end of the frame 0, and the lower one to the frameE, and between these disks are rollers or balls a, to prevent frictionfrom the contact of the inner surfaces.

The axle d has a crank, I), each side of the wheel D, to which are hungadjustable stirrups or foot-rests I, provided with the bearings c and e,to accommodate persons of different length of legs. The stirrups hangloose on the cranks, and may therefore be used with the rests orbearings below the cranks or above.

0 are pitmen, united at the lower end to the cranks N, one on each endof the axle B. The upper ends of the pitmen are jointed to the arms P,which arms also are jointed to the frame 0. Between the upperends of thepitmen, at the junction with the arms, is a crossbar, Q, within reach ofthe hand of the operator, who may press upon this bar in combinationwith motion created by the foot-power, and this, acting on the cranks Nthrough the pitmen, will givean auxiliary force for propelling thevelocipede.

K is an adjustable seat, which, with the foot-rest M, is secured to aswinging frame, 0, hung upon the rear axle. The seat K usuually rests onthe frame 0.

L is an extra seat hung to the axle B, on which a second person may ridewith his face backward and his feet bearing on the rest M. In someinstances the seat K may swing over and back of the seat L, leaving theoperator to sit on the seat L facing front, having the seat K to hisback.

Connected with the. disk F is a bar, R, extending back inside of theframe 0, and to the end of this bar is jointed the arm X, and to the armis attached acord extending through the seat K and seat L, and to it,below the latter, a weight, T, is hung. On the lower side of the arm Xis a stud to be used as a brake, by one hand of the operator, to bepressed down against the wheel D, the weight T rais ing the brake whennot in use. The weight and cord serve also to keep the seat L inposition. The bar It and arm X, extending back between the knees of theoperator, are used by the pressure of his knees on either side to turnthe wheel D and steer the vehicle. The bar It passes over the disk F,where it is pivoted, and extends forward of it, and is secured to thedisk F, which turns the front wheel in steering.

I claim 1. A velocipede operated by hand-power applied to the hindwheels by means of the pitmen O, hung to the cranks N, and having at theupper end the cross-bar Q, and the arms P, jointed to the frame 0,substantially as specified.

2. Incombination with the hand-power devices, as described, applied tothe hind wheels, the cranks b of the axle d and the swing footrests I,applied to the front wheels for the operation of foot-power,substantially as specifled. v

3. The combination of the frame 6, hung to the axle B, and carrying onthe upper end the disk F of the fifth-wheel, with the disk F, supportedby the frame E, which carries the wheel D, substantially as named.

4. The skeleton-frame E, carrying the wheel D, and supporting the disksF and F, forming a turn-wheel, substantially as specified.

5. The adjustable sWing-stirrups I, having the bearings 0 and e, incombination with the cranks b, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

6. The turn-wheel having the disk F, supported by the skeleton-frame E,and the disk F, connected with the frame 0, and having between the disksthe balls or rollers A, substantially as named.

7. The adjustable seat K, with the rest M,

secured to the frame 0, which frame is hung to the axle B.

and brake S.

, AARON VREELAND. Witnesses:

' HORACE HARRIS, O. B. MATTHEWS.

